Economics for Managers

Economics for Managers

Economics for Managers

Gain the Knowledge and Skills Needed to Craft Successful Business Strategy

Economics for Managers will enable you to drive critical business decisions. Explore how businesses approach pricing strategy, evaluate market demand, and differentiate their offerings, and how you can apply those learnings to compete in the marketplace successfully.

What You'll Learn

Apply conjoint analysis to understand what features customers value most

Understand the power of network effects to drive demand

Identify sources of competitive advantage through differentiation

About the Professor

Bharat Anand is the Henry R. Byers Professor of Business Administration for Harvard Business School and Harvard University’s Vice Provost for Advances in Learning. He is an expert in digital and corporate strategy, and has studied how new technologies affect what we watch, read, and hear—which you can learn more about in his book, The Content Trap: A Strategist’s Guide to Digital Change. He is a two-time recipient of Harvard Business School’s “Best Teacher” award.

Who Will Benefit

Aspiring Marketing, Strategy, or Consulting Professionals

Explore the world of business through the lens of economics as you prepare for your next opportunity.

Those Considering an MBA

Prepare for the MBA classroom with the program Harvard Business School offers to incoming students.

Mid-Career Professionals

Understand how markets work and firms compete in order to develop successful business strategy.

Program Structure

Economics for Managers consists of approximately 60 hours of material delivered over an eight-week period. You can complete the coursework on your own time while meeting regular deadlines.

Note: Participants that enroll in the Economics for Managers course are not eligible to enroll in the CORe program. And if enrolling in the CORe program, participants are not eligible to enroll separately in the Economics for Managers course.

The HBS Online Advantage

World-class faculty

Edge-of-your-seat online learning

Global peer collaboration and networking

Real-world, case-based learning

Harvard Business School Online offers a unique and highly engaging way to learn vital business concepts. Immerse yourself in real challenges faced by business leaders across a variety of industries. Economics for Managers takes you inside a growing online retailer, an events ticket broker, a multinational publishing company, and other firms evaluating market demand, wrestling with pricing strategy, and trying to differentiate themselves. Step into their shoes, and discuss and debate the issues they faced with fellow learners from around the world.

Stories from Our Learners

Economics for Managers was immensely valuable. Hearing from founders and seeing the power of network effects through various case studies helped me see market opportunities through an entirely different lens. I was able to talk about powerful tools, like conjoint analysis and A/B testing, in interviews. And the market knowledge I acquired helped me refine and expertly craft research reports at my firm. Professor Anand's engaging style prompted me to continue my education in economic strategy.

Asher Salik,
Student at New York University

The most impressive part of Economics for Managers was the case studies from a managerial perspective, including an analysis of a pharmaceutical company's pricing of a drug and the ethics of measuring consumers’ willingness to pay for medicine. Due to the cohort's diversity in experiences and backgrounds, this discussion included the voices of the patient, the manager, and the policymaker.

Michael Denham,
Pre-Med Candidate at Louisiana State University

Economics for Managers gave me a new lens to look at the business world using common economics concepts, such as demand-supply curves, elasticity, equilibrium, markets, and pricing.

Our easy online application is free, and no special documentation is required. All applicants must be at least 18 years of age, proficient in English, and committed to learning and engaging with fellow participants throughout the course. We confirm enrollment eligibility within one week of your application.